A Missing South Carolina Woman Was Found Dead in a River. Now, Her Son Is Accused of Her Murder, Police Say.

A missing woman was found deceased in a South Carolina river under suspicious circumstances, and several months later, officials say they have arrested her son in connection with her murder.

On Nov. 30, 2023, Regina Arroyo, 56, was reported missing out of Barnwell County, according to the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.

On Dec. 3, 2023, an individual canoeing in the North Fork Edisto River found a body, which was later identified as Arroyo’s, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials ruled her death a homicide.

On July 2, 2024, after seven months of investigation, authorities announced they identified Arroyo’s son, 37-year-old Terry Self Jr., as the suspect in her murder.

Investigators determined Self and Arroyo got into an argument at the suspect’s home and left together.

Self then allegedly “used a ligature to strangle” his mother before he “dumped her body in the river and left,” police said.

Self was being held in Richland County on unrelated charges, including probation violation and possession of a controlled substance.

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Lexington County officials recently charged Self with murder and he was denied bond, authorities said.

In a statement, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said, "We hope to give her family members and loved ones some sense of closure."